ALTOS LAS HORMIGAS 2009 MALBEC

  

What happens when you combine some well sourced Argentine fruit with the talents of one of Italy’s star winemakers? In general, that is a recipe for good things, and this project has had a number of high points since its inception back in 1995.   Even among the wealth of value players from Argentina and Chile, this one stands out for it’s clarity of purpose and surprising delineation. Vivid black fruit and ripe red berries accented with notes of violet, spice, and hints of wild herbs, there’s a lot going on even at this tender age.  Plenty of punch up front and that nice little lift at the end that tells you there is potentially another gear, not a bad thing to sense in a wine so modestly priced.  It’s all Malbec, one third from their own vineyards.  We could launch into the technical data but, frankly, that kind of thing doesn’t really matter when it’s in your glass.  What does matter is that this wine is made by folks that know their business, the likes of Alberto Antonini and Attilio Pagli at the winemaking helm, and it shows.  A classy, juicy red for not a lot of ‘dinero’..